Phoradendron leucarpum, and other species
If you seem up during the wintertime , when all the deciduous Tree have dropped their foliage , you might spot something still mature up there , tucked in the naked branch .
It might be mistletoe , that beautiful leech that we smooch under during the holidays .
Okay , not all of us . I remember dodging around any room access that adjudge the seasonal threat . I was n’t about to be snagged by an aunt for a soggy smooch on my buttock !
Photo via Alamy.
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But if you see these evergreen plant plants in the landscape , you could propagate seeds to spread the holiday terror ! Er , I think joy …
In addition to their infamous reputation as wintertime vacation decor , these plant are invaluable to wildlife and they ’ve long been used in medicinal cure .
masses of some cultures even believed they were a magical cure - all that could ward off or healanydisease . Not genuine – but pretty especial , ripe ?
If you ’re interested in fetch this plant to your garden and home , here ’s what we ’ll discuss to help you on your journeying :
What You’ll Learn
There ’s something to be aver about the value of trying something new .
What could be more different than gardening in the sky , and cultivating plants on the branches of a tree diagram ? If you ’re quick for the risky venture , get ready . Here we go !
What Is Mistletoe?
Phoradendronis a genus of parasitical plants native to all component of North America , and these are ordinarily know as mistletoe .
“ Mistletoe ” also refer to plants in theViscumgenus , but these plants are n’t native to the US . They ’re introduced mintage from Europe and far less common .
V. albumwas first introduced into California in 1900 by Luther Burbank and it has since spread throughout Sonoma County , but it hasn’tbecome invasivelike some enter species . There are also a few known patches in coastal British Columbia .
By the way , if you have n’t heard of Luther Burbank before , he was a fertile inexpert horticulturalist in the late 1800s and other 1900s who worked to spawn edible plants that would prosper in the West . He essentially desire to be the Thomas Edison of plants .
Burbank bred a tomato - potato loanblend and is directly creditworthy for Russet potatoes , which were bred from one of his creations .
The lead ‘ Russet Burbank ’ is the one that commercial-grade grower favor , particularly those in the Pacific Northwest , and it ’s the most popular commercially grown white potato in the US . But he ’s also responsible for the Himalayan blackberry that is smother so many piece of the West Coast .
I go back and forth between cursing him and thank him . Each time a newblackberry plantpops up in my yard I see reddish . When I munch on a Dominicus - warmed Charles Edward Berry during the summer , I palpate much more forgiving .
Burbank was also a proponent of eugenics , so back to unchurch him . But I digress …
We ’ll focus on the North American specie in this template , but if you ’re interested in the European variety , it can be grown similarly .
Just keep in idea that it ’s usually better to stick with native plants when you ’re naturalize them outside . It would be a pity if some European mistletoe escaped your yard and choke out aboriginal species .
So , back to our friends in thePhoradendrongenus . In Greek , “ phor ” signify thief and “ dendro ” means tree . That captures the spirit of this genus of plants utterly – they steal nutrients from their host .
To be totally accurate , all character of broadleaf mistletoe ( P. macrophyllumand others in the genus ) aresomewhatparasitic , and sleep together officially as plants that are “ hemiparasitic with facultative parasitic behaviour . ”
That think they can bung off the muggins of their host plant life , but can survive independently when necessary .
What makes them semi - parasites , rather than true parasites , is that they grow independent roots and leaves , and they can photosynthesize . parasite are entirely dependent on the host plant and ca n’t photosynthesize on their own .
American or oak mistletoe ( P. leucarpumsyn . P. serotinumandP. flavescens ) is native to the easterly part of the US as far south and W as Texas , and as far north as New Jersey . It has naturalize throughout the American Southwest , California , and Oregon .
Others on the Pacific Coast should n’t palpate left out of the native mistletoe club though .
Pacific Viscum album ( P. villosum ) grows wild from southern Washington south through Mexico . It can be cultivated in the same way as these other metal money and is passing similar to its eastern counterpart .
In the high desert of the West , P. juniperinumis the usual species . It raise onjunipers .
There are also many dwarf false mistletoe species of theArceuthobiumgenus set up throughout North America , principally in the West . These plant procreate not only by spreading through bird shite , but they have berries that break open and distribute their seed lots of invertebrate foot away .
They ’re largely leafless , so you probably are n’t going to require them as part of your vacation decor . These plants cling out inconifersand are consider a nuisance species in some areas .
We tell other varieties of mistletoe from the nanus mintage commonly by describe them as leafy or broadleaf mistletoe .
Mistletoes send out rootlike social organization known as haustoria into host tree to take out nutrient . Kind of like a vampire , but less fancy . But they also use their green , ellipse - mould leaves to photosynthesize and produce nutrient glucose .
While rarefied , there have been illustration where the host tree dies back entirely but the Viscum album on it continues to thrive . So it does n’t absolutely require a host , but why would you change state down a innocent repast ?
These evergreen plant plants have oval - determine , medium gullible or olive green leaves and form masses that rate in size of it , but are generally about 18 to 24 inch grandiloquent and wide . The stems are succulent before terminating in a woody base .
These plants mostly grow onapple , hawthorn , lime , poplar , maple , crab apple , ash , walnut , cotoneaster , andwillow tree . Technically , it can grow on almost any tree or bush . But if you ’re hoping to get hold some Loranthus europaeus in the natural state , look for these species .
Now , when you hear the Good Book “ parasitic , ” it ’s natural to panic and decide to rip all the offending plants out . But mistletoe is only a soft gist , and if the tree is healthy , it will be fine .
Plus , these plants have lots of good aspect . The local wildlife will love it , and both squirrels andbirds eat up the berries . In warm regions where pollinators are active during the winter calendar month , it offer a much - involve source of nutrition .
P. leucarpumis the only host for thicket ( Callophrys spinetorum ) , Johnson ’s ( C. johnsoni ) , and keen empurpled hairstreaks ( Atlides halesus ) , meaning it is the only plant life the larva of these beautiful butterflies bung on .
Phainopeplabirds , the only kind of silky true flycatcher seen in the US , rely on mistletoes almost totally for solid food in the wintertime , and they ’re also essential to cedar waxwing andEuphoniafinches .
aboriginal mistletoes are such a full of life part of a healthy timberland that they ’re considered key species by the US Geological Survey , and they do n’t pose a scourge to other aboriginal industrial plant in most areas . The plant spread tardily , and a maculation might only boom a few feet per class .
Only female plants grow berry , which are white . The specific name of oak mistletoe , leucarpum , describe this gadget characteristic . “ Leuc ” have in mind white and “ carp ” means fruit in Greek .
If you were expecting cherry-red berries on your sprig of greenery , depend to the crimson - berried species , V. cruciatum .
Males have no berry but they do create flush with pollen .
Butterflies , bee , and ant pollinate the inconspicuous jaundiced inflorescences , which bloom in fall and wintertime , and birds spread the muggy seeds to other trees .
If you ’ve ever noticed this plant on a unfinished deciduous tree , pay attention to the localization and convention . It tight mimics the show of a bunch of birds roost in a tree .
In fact , that ’s where the name comes from . “ Misteltan ” is the Anglo - Saxon name for the plant . “ Mistel ” means turd ( or droppings ) and “ tan ” means stick . It ’s chick poop on a stick !
TheViscumgenus contains the plant life responsible for for mistletoe ’s fearsome toxic repute and they ’re at least 10 times as toxic as the North American species .
While I surely would n’t recommend eat the Berry , it probably would n’t suffer you if you wipe out a few from the North American native species , causing gastrointestinal disquieted rather than poisoning . But if you eat some of the European mistletoe ? You ’re in worry .
While it is n’t as toxic as its European vis-a-vis , have big measure can make vomiting , difficultness ventilation , and lessen descent pressure and heartbeat . It ’s toxic to wienerwurst , cat , and sawbuck . So , again , do n’t eat this plant .
Cultivation and History
There are over 1,300 coinage of false mistletoe plants , butViscumandPhoradendronare the two most commonly grow and used by humanity , and the history between the two is as different as their native locations on the planet .
Native North American people imbue mistletoe with much different traditional knowledge than Europeans .
Of naturally , North Americans who fall from European people go forward to start the traditional knowledge practiced by the Druid and ancient Scandinavian multitude as well . Same common name , similar flora , two very unlike stories .
The Druids believedV. albumplants establish growing on an oak tree could be used to healanyailment , and that it contained magical properties . It was also used to elevate elan vital and fertility rate in humans and animals . People endure it in amulets to ward off disease .
get ’s be dependable , it ’s easy to see how you ’d portion this plant a quantity of sorcerous properties . It ’s on the face of it imperviable to the whims of nature . As all the other leaves around it fall down , it keep on to thrive without the stain we typically imagine all plants need .
The idea of kiss someone under the Viscum album ?
That in all likelihood depart in Norse civilisation , where people believe that the goddess of dear , Frigg ( or Frigga ) celebrated the resurrection of her boy Baldur after he was vote down by Loki using a Old World mistletoe arrow . She showed her delight at her Logos ’s getting even by kissing those who walked beneath a tree ladened with the plant .
How it moved from there to a vulgar recitation among the lower class in the Middle Ages before spreading to the middle social class during the eighteenth 100 has been lost to prison term .
There are various known practices surrounding buss under the mistletoe , include the idea that you ca n’t refuse a candy kiss , you must pluck one berry for each kiss , and if a young girl kip with a twig under her pillow she will dream of her succeeding husband .
Meanwhile , Indigenous North Americans use the various aboriginal species primarily for medicine and in spiritual ceremony .
Cherokee citizenry use it to treat concern , epileptic installment , high blood atmospheric pressure , and to cure lovesickness – there ’s that beloved theme again ! Mendocino people use it to aid unspeakable limbs and joints .
Pomo people have long used it to hold up period , and Kawaiisu utilise it as an abortion-inducing drug . Navajo people , who call the masses of these plants found in tree diagram offset “ baskets on in high spirits , ” utilize them to get rid of wart .
In more late history , the flora was admired by settlers move into the territory for its doggedness , leading Oklahoma to name it the official state flowered allegory in 1893 . This is the quondam of the state ’s discern symbols , adopted prior to statehood in 1907 .
Today , European false mistletoe is widely regarded as a born therapy for cancer and it is even cover by medical policy in Germany .
However , Edzard Ernst , former professor of complementary practice of medicine at the University of Exeter , looked at the many available studies essay the efficaciousness of mistletoe as a treatment for Crab and happen little to no evidence that it help – it might even cause harm . He published his finding in theBMJ in 2006 .
As with all natural therapeutic , talk to a Doctor of the Church , be skeptical of cures lacking high - quality research to back them up , and call up that natural medicine that has been strictly tested and proven is usually just call “ medicine . ”
These plants are n’t wide crop , but they ’re pretty sluttish to discover in nature .
P. leucarpumis the plant call for for vacation decor in the US , most commonly in Texas today . So if you find a sprig at your local grocer , that ’s probably what you ’re looking at .
Propagation
To propagate mistletoe from seed , do n’t use the berry from a branchlet that you purchase at the store . You want to find a wild plant to harvest berries from .
await until early leaping to reap the Chuck Berry to ensure that they ’re full mature .
Once you ’ve forgather Charles Edward Berry from a tempestuous plant life , line up a healthy , ripe Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree growing in full sunshine . This may sound eldritch , give that Loranthus europaeus grows inside the fishy canopy of a Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , but it needs full sun during the wintertime when the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree are bare .
evidently , you ’ll be limited by whichever trees you have available . But these plant favour hardwood trees , especially apples . The main drawback is that a large plant can reduce your fruit harvest , so do n’t select apear treethat ’s your pridefulness and joy for this dangerous undertaking .
Soak the berries in weewee for about 24 hour to get them courteous and soft .
Then , carefully(seriously , I do n’t need to find out that you fell out of a tree diagram attempt to plant your Old World mistletoe ! ) climb up the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree and retrieve a nice , thick branch . The thicker the better – it should be at least the diam of a broom grip .
habituate a acuate , clean-living tongue to lightly lift a pocket-size segment of bark up from the branch . Stick a berry in there , but do n’t compact the barque back down – depart it slightly agape . The berries are sticky , so I find it prosperous to place each berry at the ending of a chopstick and sort of smear and poke it into the crack .
To protect the seeds you ’ve sow from athirst birds , roll some nylon or bird netting around the limb .
If you ’re having a wry spring , spray the limb with weewee once every few day . Otherwise , allow Mother Nature do her thing .
I extremely urge institute multiple seeds because not all of them will survive .
Also , you need a male and a female plant life if you want to see berries with executable seminal fluid within later , so you might as well constitute as many as you’re able to to ensure you get a good mix .
How to Grow
Once your plants are growing , you do n’t have to do much . In fact , your independent task is to keep going the host tree .
Mistletoe get drouth tenseness , so you postulate to keep your tree watered well when it ’s act as a emcee .
You should also keep an eye out for any pests , since some species of trees are sabotage by mistletoe , and more prone to infestation as a outcome .
Also , you need to keep your plant under ascendance . you could avoid drought stress and pests if you do n’t let your mistletoe become too big .
Plan to cut back it back once a class to define its size of it and spread – we ’ll comprehend this in more contingent in the pruning section below .
you could prevent these plants from spreading throughout your tree and to young trees by removing the Chuck Berry around the holidays . They ’re still immature at this point and ca n’t pullulate .
Growing Tips
Pruning
To prune mistletoe , you could go up up into the tree or utilize a telescoping Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree saw . I do n’t be intimate how I ’d get by without mine .
I use the Milliard Pruner / Pole Saw , which can get hold of up to 16 feet and has both a power saw and a pruner . Grab one for yourselfat Amazon .
Milliard Pruner / Pole experience
Then , just curve away to attain the size and frame you want . Do n’t worry , that fool is go to grow right back so do as much ( or as little ) pruning as you want .
This should be done in the spring after you ’ve reap any berries you want to keep for planting , or to keep further ranch , but before the innkeeper Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree transmit out new growth .
If things start to grow out of command or your tree seems stress , remove the plants by pruning off the offset they ’re grow on .
If you pull the plant off the tree , the haustorium that are left behind can further new maturation , so it ’s unspoilt to cautiously take the whole branch if you could , just to be secure .
Species to Select
you’re able to try growing any of theViscumorPhoradendronspecies , but do n’t go planting the dwarf mintage ( Arceuthobium ) in your garden .
However , I would strongly indicate that you stick to the species that are native to your region .
Not only does this better the chances that your industrial plant will grow well , but it ’s better for the surroundings .
critter like bee , shuttle , and butterfly stroke have evolve alongside the plant that ’s aboriginal to a particular part . While many specie adapt to use up and use enter specie , it ’s always better tocultivate native coinage .
So , if you exist in the easterly , key , or southern part of North America , growP. leucarpum .
If you last in the West , growP. juniperinum . You ’ll want to choose junipers rather than deciduous hardwood trees as hosts with this species though .
Those on the West Coast can plantP. villosum .
Unless you live in an field where alien metal money have naturalize ( like California ) , you wo n’t have to worry about figuring out what you ’re reap . It ’s going to be a native species .
Managing Pests and Disease
It ’s highly unlikely that you ’ll run into any pestilence or disease issues . Mistletoe is a rugged small plant that will keep growing with no input signal from you .
What you want to take in for are pests and disease on the host Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree . If your mistletoe counteract the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , it will be more susceptible to problem .
Get to eff the rough-cut pests and diseases to watch out for by watch more about the trees uprise in your landscape painting .
Harvesting and Best Uses
For the first few class , your plants wo n’t produce Berry . Do n’t concern , you did n’t mess up ! It just takes time for the plants to maturate .
Though , of course , it ’s deserving another mention – if you ’re only growing male plants , these wo n’t produce Chuck Berry at all , no matter how hard you try .
Once the holidays turn over around and you ’re quick to tally some mistletoe to your interior decoration , point outside with a sharp duad of scissors or secateurs and simply clip off the sprig you need .
you may refrigerate these so they will last longer . wind them in a paper towel and put them in a pocketbook . They ’ll stay refreshed for a few weeks this way .
To make a piddling display , tie a few stem together with telegram and then envelop a ribbon around it . Read more in ourguide to arranging leafage found in the garden , or check out our tips for creating aDIY Christmas swagorholiday plantation owner musical arrangement .
Quick Reference Growing Guide
Try Your Hand at Gardening in the Sky
I do n’t know if you ’ve price a twig of mistletoe lately , but it ai n’t cheap . For a industrial plant that is so easy to grow , it sure commands a high-pitched retail price .
Of course , saving a few vaulting horse is n’t the only reason to grow your own . Your local wildlife will love you for it , and it ’s a enthralling process .
To declare oneself one final word of advice , endeavor to circumscribe yourself to one or two plants per tree diagram .
You really do n’t desire to sacrifice your tree ’s health , and just a few plants wo n’t make any substantial harm if your tree diagram is healthy otherwise .
To nurture the hardwood tree that you could use as hosts for these plants , includingfruits , loony , andornamental landscape trees , you might need to brush up on their pauperization . Here are a few guides that may come in handy :
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Kristine Lofgren
